A City for Cars and Bikes

Published
4:00 am PST, Friday, January 23, 1998

FINALLY, some rationality on bicycling in San Francisco. The issue of pedaling rights on the hills and thoroughfares of the city by the bay has long been ludicrously divisive. Critical Mass only widened the gap, but there also has been a lethargy by city officials in taking action to make San Francisco more bike-friendly.

An agreement between Mayor Brown and two-wheeler enthusiasts, which stems from a Board of Supervisors-approved bicycle plan, puts the city on the right path toward encouraging the non-polluting, calorie-burning form of transportation.

The city will sponsor an Alternative Transportation summit this summer and it will paint "Bikes Belong" stencils on streets designated part of the bike route.

But what is especially necessary are real bike lanes that give riders the space they need to feel comfortable in a car-dominant metropolis. City officials should waste no time in implementing the agreement provision calling for hearings on adding bike lanes on nine major corridors.

At the same time, bicycle advocacy groups are going to have to police some of their own. Gaining support for a more bicycle-friendly city will require evidence that bicyclists obey the rules of the road, just as motorists do.